Trade talks will continue to spotlight pitchers

Sporting News, The, March 7, 1994 by Peter Pascarelli

In these post-expansion days when thin pitching staffs became anemic, is it any wonder that the juiciest rumors this winter involved big-name pitchers?

At one time or another, Pete Harnisch was headed to the Yankees or the Orioles or the Blue Jays. Andy Benes was going to the Yankees or the Orioles or the Cardinals.

The Yankees were supposedly close to getting Mark Langston or Doug Drabek. Greg Swindell would soon be in Toronto. At one point, speculation surfaced concerning Roger Clemens going to the Rangers. Jack McDowell was supposedly being shopped by the White Sox.

On and on it went, but when spring training finally opened, the most-established pitchers to change teams via trades were Erik Hanson and Terry Mulholland. The rumors turned out to be just that -- rumors.

But the talking didn't end when the camps opened. The lack of winter meetings this off-season, economic concerns, realignment, waiver rules that allow trading virtually year-round and the simple fact that every team in baseball could use more pitching all combine to ensure a lot more trade talk as the spring unfolds.

However, at least for the time being, look for the names to become far less spectacular than ace types such as Benes and Harnisch. Rarely do huge deals occur during spring training. And let's face it, only a huge deal could land a Benes or Harnisch.

But most teams still need pitching help. And according to general managers in both leagues, after teams have satisfied themselves with a long look at their in-house pitching options, serious shopping will commence once again.

Which pitchers will see their names surface over the next few weeks? One could be young Cleveland righthander Mark Clark. If Jack Morris wins a spot in the Indians' rotation and if Charles Nagy is healthy, the Indians would be willing to listen to offers for Clark, who pitched solidly last year after being acquired from St. Louis.

Two other names could be Greg Harris and Frank Viola of the Red Sox. Harris' ability to start and relieve could make him a viable fallback option to a team such as Baltimore in need of depth. And if Viola shows himself to be healthy during spring training, the Red Sox would be happy to talk about unloading his big salary.

An intriguing possibility could be Minnesota's Kevin Tapani. Though the Twins are scrambling to fill out their rotation, a multiplayer offer for Tapani and his sizable salary would catch the penny-pinching Twins' attention. And although Minnesota likely wouldn't deal him now, don't be surprised to see reliever Rick Aguilera become available down the road.

Now, don't get the idea that pitching is the only need of clubs. Plenty of teams have plenty of other holes. For example, Boston needs a right fielder, Seattle could use a catcher, Toronto is uncertain about left held, Cincinnati is unsure about third base, Houston has a hole in right, the Mets have holes virtually everywhere and on it goes.

But pitching is where most everyone needs help. So rest assured, when you hear a trade rumor this spring, you'll be certain to find a pitcher's name in the sentence.